Archive By Section - Religion

Members of the Barton County Association of Churches said they hope to have every congregation in Great Bend represented at a unity prayer service this month. Everyone is invited to the service, which will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the First United Methodist Church, 2123 Forest. The speaker will be the Rev. Carrie Buhler from Trinity Methodist Church in Great Bend.

Great Bend native Trever Ball will speak at the next Great Bend Aglow Lighthouse meeting, taking place Saturday, Jan. 11, at Perkins Restaurant, 2920 10th St. Coffee and social time is at 9 a.m., with the meeting starting at 9:30.

The congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church invites the community and friends of Pastor Jim and Miriam Strasen to an open house celebration of their ministry at Trinity Lutheran Church, from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, in the Fellowship Hall, 2701 24th St. Come to reminisce and reflect on the 11-plus years they have nurtured and guided the congregation and served in our community.

Editor's note: This article was written by Eric Johnson, son of Rev. Bill and Lois Johnson, in honor of his father's retirement and the celebration of his parents' 27 years of service to the community and the First Christian Church in Great Bend.

LAWRENCE - African-American men and women are No. 1 and 2, respectively, when it comes to mortality rates from colorectal cancer, yet informative programs aimed at reaching these populations are rare. A University of Kansas professor has published initial findings from a program aimed at studying the effectiveness of urban churches in leading efforts to communicate information about colorectal cancer to African-Americans.

The Heartland Center for Spirituality announces a retreat for individuals preparing for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) into the Catholic church. It will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at the center in Great Bend.

St. John Episcopal Church, 17th and Adams St., Great Bend, invites the public to come and help members celebrate the birth of the Savior this Christmas Eve. The church service begins at 7:30 p.m., and members are hosting a gathering party before the service at 6:30 p.m.

Heartland Center for Spirituality in Great Bend will show the 2009 movie "The Blind Side" as part of the continuing "Movies with a Message" series. It will be shown at 6:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at the Dominican Sister Motherhouse, 3600 Broadway Ave.

For over 40 years, the Rev. William "Bill" Johnson has been leading churches and serving the communities in which he's lived. With the beginning of the new year, Johnson will retire from his position as the senior pastor of the First Christian Church in Great Bend.